Hydraulic actuating mechanism for operating doors, windows, draperies and the like



March 27, 1962 w. J. WENZEL ETAL 3,026,676

HYDRAULIC ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR OPERATING DOORS, WINDOWS, DRAPERIES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 29, 1960 IN V EN TORS. lV/u/AM J I I/ewzez, BY KEN/very K. (Ma/Ir,

ATTO RNEYS.

nite tae $326,575 Patented Mar. 27, 15262 HYDRAULMI ACTUATING MECHANHSM FOR ERATING DQURS, WINDOWS, DER-RES Tim LIKE 7 William J. Wenzel, 41 Meadowlark Drive, and Kenneth K. Knight, 604 Forest Ave, both of Great Falls, Mont.

Filed Ian. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 5,464 Claims. (Cl. 60-52) This invention relates to a hydraulic actuating mechanism and while it may be adapted and used with mechanisms of various kinds, it is particularly useful in connection with sliding doors.

In many cases, it is desirable to provide for powered actuation of sliding doors and it is often desirable to provide for several different operating cycles for such doors. Thus, for example, it is sometimes desirable to cause a door to open when a button is pushed and to stop when the button is released; similarly to close a door by pushing a button with the door stopping when the button is released. In this way a door may be partially opened or partially closed to the degree desired as determined by the length of time the push button is depressed.

It is also desirable in many cases to be able to push a button momentarily and have the door open fully or to push a button and have a door move from fully open to fully closed position.

Again it may be desirable to provide a cycle wherein pushing a button momentarily causes the door to open fully, to wait for a time interval, and then to close completely. In this connection, it may also be desirable to provide means for adjusting the time interval between the opening action and closing action.

With the foregoing considerations in mind, it is an object of our invention to provide a fluid actuated mecha nism which may be either hydraulic or pneumatic (and it should be understood that the word hydraulic is used herein for convenience and that the mechanism may equally well be pneumatically operated). It is a further object of our invention to provide a mechanism of the type under consideration which may be provided with a stock item in self-contained unit form so that it may be mounted in the door frame and need only be secured in position and connected to a source of fluid under pressure and an operating connection for the door. The actuating device may be in the form of push buttons or touch plates. It is yet another object of the invention to provide a mechanism as above outlined which will be inexpensive and which may be provided with conventional friction engaging mechanisms so that in the event of equipment breakdown or power failure, the doors may be manually operated.

These and other objects of the invention we accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which we shall now describe an exemplary embodiment. Reference is made to the drawing forming a part hereof and in which:

The sole drawing FIGURE is a somewhat diagrammatic representation of the invention.

Briefly, in the practice of our invention we provide a working cylinder having a piston therein adapted to be connected to the door or other mechanism to be actuated. We provide a reservoir for hydraulic fluid and a pump and pressure tank by means of which the fluid is supplied to the mechanism. The hydraulic circuit includes a valve member which may be hydraulically actuated and by means of which fluid under pressure is supplied to one or the other end of the working cylinder. An automatically operating detent mechanism is provided for the valve and means are provided whereby the detent mechanism may be rendered inoperative.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing, a reseroperate.

voir is indicated at 16 from which a pump 11 supplies the fluid under pressure to a line 12. A pressure tank 13 containing a body of air 14 may be provided to maintain a desired pressure level.

A working cylinder is indicated at 15 and is provided with a working piston 16 having a rod 17 adapted to be connected to the mechanism to be actuated. A pressure port 18 is provided at the upper end of the cylinder 15 and a pressure port 19 is provided at the lower end. A line 20 is connected to the port 18 and is provided with a ball check valve 21. Similarly, a line 22 is connected to the port 19 and is provided with a ball check valve 23.

Exhaust ports 24 and 25 are provided at the lower end of the cylinder and these ports constitute valve seats with which the throttling valve members 26 and 27 co- The position of the throttling valves 26 and 27 is controlled by means of knobs 28, 29. It Will be understood that the shafts of the valve members 26 and 27 are threaded as at 28a and 29a, where they pass through the exhaust valve casing 30. From the valve casing 36 the fluid is exhausted through a ball check valve 31 into the line 22.

Similarly, at the upper end of the cylinder 15 are provided the exhaust ports 32 and 33 which constitute seats for the throttling valve members 34, 35 which may be controlled as to their position by the knobs 36, 37 and again the valve shafts are threaded as at 37a and 3611 where they pass through the valve casing 38. From the valve casing 38 fluid is exhausted through the ball check valve 39 into the line 20.

Additionally, at the lower end of the cylinder 15 is a port 40 communicating with a line 4-1 and at the upper end of the cylinder there is a port 42 communicating with a line 43 for purposes to be described hereinafter.

The hydraulic control valve is generally indicated at 44 and comprises a cylinder 44:: within which are mounted pistons 45 and 46.

The cylinder 44a is divided by a wall 47 provided with a port 48. A valve 49 for controlling the opening of the port 48 is diagrammatically shown. When the valve 49 is in the position shown, the two ends of the cylinder 44a are separated. It will be seen that a head space 50 is provided at the upper end of the upper cylinder and a head space 51 is provided at the upper end of the lower cylinder and that the piston 45 is normally urged to its uppermost position by a spring 52 bearing against the dividing wall 47 and the bottom of the piston 4-5 and similarly the piston 46 is normally. urged upwardly against the dividing wall by means of a spring 53 bearing against the lower end of the cylinder 44a.

The upper chamber of the cylinder 44a is provided with a pressure port 54- and the lower chamber with a similar pressure port 55. The ports 54 and 55 are connected through lines 56 and 57 to the pressure line 12. The upper chamber of the cylinder 44a is also provided with two ports in the same plane as the port 54 indicated at 53,. 5 and these ports are aligned on a line perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. Similarly, the lower chamber is provided with similarly aligned ports 6%, 61. The port 58 is connected to the line 29 and the port 60 is connected to the line 22. The port 59 is connected to a line 63 which leads through a ball check valve 64 to the reservoir 10. Similarly, the port 61 is connected through a line 65 and through a ball check valve 66 to the reservoir it The small line 43 mentioned above is connected into the lower end of the lower chamber in the cylinder 44a as at 67 and the line 41 is connected into the lower end of the upper chamber of the cylinder 44a as indicated at 68.

. A manual control valve is generally indicated at 69 and comprises a cylinder divided by a wall 70 and a wall 71 into three chambers 72, 73 and 74. Within the chamber 72 is a ball check valve 75 spring urged into its seat in the wall 70 and adapted to be displaced by means of a rod 76 which carries a valve member 77 adapted to seat in a valve seat in the wall 7 1.

The chamber 72 is connected into line 56 by means of a line 78 and a line 79 connects the chamber 73 with the head space 50 in the cylinder 44a. The line 80 connects the chamber 74 into the return line 63.

Similarly, there is provided a valve 81 having the dividing walls 82 and S3 dividing it into the chambers 84, 85 and 86. Within the chamber 84 there is a ball check valve 87 and within the chamber 86 there is a valve member 88 secured to the rod 89. The valves 69 and 81 are in all respects identical. As described above, the valve 81 has its chamber 84 connected by line 90 to the line 57 and the chamber 35 is connected through the line 91 to the head space 51. connected through a line 92 into the return line 65.

The piston 45 has a recess 93 connected by a small bore 94- to the chamber below the piston 45. Similarly, the piston 46 has a recess 95 connected through a small line 96 to the space in the lower chamber below the piston 46.

Associated with each chamber of the cylinder 44a is a detent mechanism, the upper detent mechanism comprising a cylinder 97 within which is a piston 98 having a detent member 99 which is spring urged to the left by a spring 100. A thumb screw 101 carries a plate 102 against which the spring 100 bears. It will be clear that by withdrawing the thumb screw 101 and with it the plate 102, the spring 100 may be rendered inoperative to push the detent 99 toward the left.

Similarly, for the lower chamber there is the cylinder '103 Within which is provided the piston 104 carrying the detent 105 and urged toward the left by the spring 106. Again the spring 106 bears against the plate 107 controlled by the thumb screw 108. The detent members 99 and 105 operate in precisely the same manner.

Having now fully described the various parts of the mechanism and their connections, the operation of the device may be understood. With hydraulic fluid in the system and the pump 11 operating, pressure is supplied through the line 12 and the lines 56 and 57 to the upper and lower chambers of the cylinder 44a. The piston 16 in the cylinder will be assumed to be in its uppermost position.

If now, the push button of the manual control valve 69 is depressed, the ball valve 75 will be unseated and the valve 77 will be seated, whereby pressure from the line 12 passing through the line 56 and the small line 78 is conducted through the valve and the line 79 into the head space 50 causing the piston 45 to move downwardly while compressing the spring 52. As the piston 45 moves downwardly, the recess 93 is entered by the detent 99 under the influence of the spring 100 to hold the piston 45 in its lower position. In this lower position, the transverse bore 109 in the piston 45 places the lines 56 and into communication and pressure is supplied through the line 20, ball check valve 21 and port 18 to the cylinder 15 above the piston 16. The piston 16 is thereby caused to move downwardly to open the door.

Fluid in the cylinder 15 below the piston 16 is exhausted through the ports 24 and into chamber and thence through the ball check valve 31 into the line 22, thence through the ports 60 and 61 by means of the transverse bore 110 in the piston 46 to the reservoir 10. As the piston 16 approaches the end of its stroke, it closes first the port 24 whereby it is slowed down and then it closes the port 25 whereupon it is brought to a stop. In the meantime, pressure is exerted through the port and line 41 into the space below the piston and thence through the smalle bore 94 and recess 93 into the cylinder 97 where it acts upon the piston 98 to eject the The chamber 86 is detent 99 from the recess 93, whereupon the pressure below the piston 45 together with the action of the spring 52 returns the piston 45 to the position shown where the ports 53 and 59 align with the bore 111 which extends transversely through the piston 45. Thereupon, the line 20 is placed in communication with the line 63 in exhaust position.

If now the valve 81 is actuated, the same series of events take place in the opposite direction to return the piston 16 to its uppermost position and thereby close the door. It will be noted that when the mechanism is at rest, the ball check valves 75 and 87 are closed so that the head spaces 50 and 51 are connected to exhaust through valves 77, 88, now open.

If now the thumb screws 101 and 108 are withdrawn to render the springs and 106 ineffective, the action upon pressing the manual control valve 69 is the same as described above except that the detent 99 will not enter the recess 93, so that upon release of the push button of valve 69, the piston 45 returns to its uppermost position. The same is true of the piston 46. Therefore with the thumb screws 101 and 108 retracted, the mechanism will open a door only so long as the button 76 is depressed and will stop as soon as this button is released. Similarly, during a closing operation the mechanism will only operate so long as the button 89 is depressed and will stop as soon as the button is released.

To place the mechanism into condition for automatic operation, whereby a momentary actuation of valve 69 causes the door to open fully and then after a predetermined interval to close fully, the valve 49 is opened, placing the upper and lower chambers in the cylinder 44a into communication. Thus when the valve 69 is actuated and the opening cycle is placed in motion as described above, as the piston 16 closes the port 25, pressure is formed in the line 41 which enters at 63 into the space below the piston 45 but this pressure may now pass through the dividing wall 47 into the head space 51 and thus it not only releases the detent 99, but also moves the piston 46 into its lower operating position whereby to reverse the cycle and close the door. This is accomplished automatically without touching the valve 81.

The time interval between the closing and opening operation is adjusted by adjustment of the thumb screws 28 and 29 to throttle the exhaust from the cylinder 15.

As the piston 16 returns to its uppermost position and passes port 33, pressure is built up in the line 43 forcing the piston 46 back to its uppermost position. Thus both the pistons 45 and 46 are in by-pass position, connecting the lines 20 and 63 and also the lines 22 and 65. Thus, no pressure exists on either side of the piston 16 whereby creep is prevented.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that there has been provided an exceedingly simple automatic mechanism which may be either hydraulically or pneumatically operated to perform an operation such as opening and closing a door in one of three cycles, (a) actuating the opening button moves the door to full open position and actuating the closing button returns the door to full closed position; (h) actuating the opening button moves the door toward open position and stops when the button is released. Similarly, actuation of the closing button moves the door toward closed position and stops when the button is released; (c) operation of the opening button causes the door to open fully and after a predetermined interval to close fully.

A friction release between the piston rod 17 and the door to be operated has not been shown but such devices are well known and do not form a part of the present invention.

It will be understood that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention and we therefore do not intend to limit ourselves otherwise than as set forth in the claims which follow.

Having now fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. in a hydraulic actuating mechanism comprising a reservoir for hydraulic fluid, a hydraulic circuit, a pump and a pressure tank for forcing said hydraulic fluid through said circuit, and a working cylinder having a port at each end connected to said circuit and having an actuating piston therein connected to the mechanism to be actuated; a control valve comprising a cylinder having a wall dividing it into two chambers, a piston in each of said chambers, a spring in each of said chambers urging the respective pistons toward one end of the respective chambers, a hydraulic connection from said pressure tank to each of said chambers, a hydraulic connection from each of said chambers to said reservoir, a hydraulic connection from one of said chambers to one port of said working cylinder and a hydraulic connection from the other of said chambers to the other port of said working cylinder, each of said valve pistons having two transverse bores positioned such that when said pistons are at said one end of the respective chambers each end of said worldng cylinder is connected through the respective valve piston to said reservoir, and such that when said valve pistons are caused to move a predetermined distance while compressing said springs, each end of said working cylinder is connected through the respective valve piston to said pressure tank, a recess in the side of each said valve piston and a detent in said cylinder wall, said detents engageable respectively in said recesses to hold said valve pistons in pressure tank. connecting position, a small bore in each valve piston connecting the spring end thereof with said recess, each said detent comprising a piston, spring urged to recess engaging position, whereby hydraulic pressure applied to the spring end of a valve piston is applied through said small bore to said detent piston to eject said detent from its recess against the action of its spring, a hydraulic connection from said pressure tank to the end of each chamber opposite said spring, and a manually operated one-way valve in each of said last named connections whereby manual actuation of one of said one-way valves causes the respective piston to move against its spring to a position where said detent may engage said recess whereby to apply hydraulic presstue to the respective end of said working cylinder, means for connecting said opposite end of each said chamber to said reservoir, said last named means and said manual means being interconnected so that alternatively said opposite end of said chamber is connected to said reservoir or to said pressure tank, a hydraulic connection from one end of said working cylinder to the spring end of one of said chambers, a hydraulic connection from the other end of said working cylinder to the spring end of the other of said chambers, a valve in said dividing Wall, means for throttling selectively each of the connections from said working cylinder to said reservoir, and means for rendering the spring action of said detents ineffective, all for the purposes described.

2. In a hydraulic actuating mechanism comprising a reservoir of hydraulic fluid, a hydraulic circuit, a pump and a pressure tank for forcing said hydraulic fluid through said circuit, a working cylinder having a working piston to be actuated, and a manually operated control valve; a hydraulically operated control valve comprising a cylinder having a control piston therein, said last named cylinder having a port adapted to be connected to said pressure tank, a port adapted to be connected to one end of said working cylinder, and an exhaust port adapted to be connected to said reservoir, said ports being in a common transverse plane, said control piston being spring urged toward a normal position at one end of said last named cylinder, and having a transverse bore disposed to connect said working cylinder port and exhaust port in said normal position, operative connections between said last named cylinder and manually operated vaive whereby actuation of said manually operated valve applies hydraulic pressure to said control piston to move it to an operating position against said spring, said control piston having a second transverse bore disposed to connect said pressure port and working cylinder port in said operating position, detent means for holding said control piston in operating position, hydraulic means connected to said working cylinder for releasing said detent at the completion of the working stroke of said working piston, said control piston having a recess, said recess being connected by a small bore to the spring end of said control piston, said detent comprising a piston spring urged to recess engaging position, whereby pressure applied to the spring end or" said control piston is applied through said small bore to said detent piston to eject said detent from said recess against the action of its spring, and a port at the spring end or said valve cylinder connected to said working cylinder.

3. A structure according to claim 2, wherein means are provided to render said detent inoperative.

4. In a hydraulic actuating mechanism comprising a reservoir of hydraulic fluid, a hydraulic circuit, a pump and a pressure tank for forcing said hydraulic fluid through said circuit, a working cylinder having a working piston to be actuated, and two manually operated con trol valves; a pair of hydraulically operated control valves disposed end to end in the same sense, each associated with one of said manually operated control valves, each of said hydraulically operated control valves comprising a cylinder having a control piston therein, each said last named cylinder having a port adapted to be connected to said pressure tank, an exhaust port adapted to be connected to said reservoir, and a working port, the said working ports being adapted to be connected respectively to opposite ends of said working cylinder, the said ports in said valve cylinders respectively being in common transverse planes, each of said control pistons being spring urged in the same direction toward a normal position at one end of the respective valve cylinders, and each having a transverse bore disposed to connect the respective working ports and exhaust ports in said normal position, operative connections between said valve cylinders and manually operated valves respectively, whereby actuation of one of said manually operated valves applies hydraulic pressure to the respective control piston to move it to an operating position against the respective spring, each of said control pistons having a second transverse bore disposed to connect the respective pressure port and working port in said operating position, detent means for each of said control pistons to hold them in operating position respectively, and hydraulic means connected to said working cylinder for releasing said detents at the completion of the working stroke of said working piston, a port providing communication between the spring end of one valve cylinder and the opposite end of the other valve cylinder, a manually operated valve for closing said last named port and a hydraulic connection between said working cylinder and the spring end of each valve cylinder, said last named connections being reversed with respect to the connections between said working ports and said working cylinder.

5. A structure according to claim 4, having manually operable throttling means in each of said last named connections'.

References ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,480,527 Wachter Aug. 30, 1949 2,607,559 Forss Aug. 19, 1952 2,645,900 Hutchison July 21, 1953 2,875,976 Harwood Mar. 3, 1959 2,934,899 Koplin et al. May 3, 1960 2,948,262 Gratzmuller Aug. 9, 1960 

